Is the Immigration Reform Caucus still a threat to immigration reform?

Domenic Powell • Nov 26, 2012

Rep. Lou Barletta

With top-level officials in the Republican Party giving strong signals of an about-face on immigration reform, could the FAIR-backed Immigration Reform Caucus drag the party back toward the nativists?

Just days after an election in which the Latino vote played a pivotal role in handing President Obama a victory, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told the press that they will make immigration reform a priority, hoping to stop the hemorrhaging of Latino voters from the party. Among the conservative pundit class, Sean Hannity said that he’s “evolved” on immigration, now supporting a pathway to citizenship. Standing in the way of this paradigm shift however, are the hard-liners in the Immigration Reform Caucus, which stands ready to resist every attempt to pass pro-immigrant legislation in congress.

Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) is expected to take over chairmanship of the House Judiciary Committee in the new congress. Goodlatte has supported an end to birthright citizenship, English-only proposals, and building a fence along the Mexican border. Goodlatte would maintain the course set forth by fellow IRC member Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the previous chair of the judiciary committee.

Founded by congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) in 1999, IRC has carried the flame long after his departure, providing a home for hardliners like Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Joe “You Lie” Wilson (R-SC), Todd Akin (R-MO), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA). But the group suffered a major setback this election. It’s current chair, Rep. Brian Bilbray, lost his bid for re-election in California. He finally conceded on November 16. His defeat should serve as a lesson to potential successors as IRC’s head: taking a leadership role of a nativist group will cost you.

On immigration reform, the question for the next congress will be: does congress continue to listen to FAIR and its allies in the IRC, or does it strike out a new path? Comprised of some of the right’s loudest attack dogs, moderates will almost certainly have to bark back.